Monday, March 24, 2008

New carb-loading destination - Bakery: Shilla Bakery

In this down-turned market, it's comforting to see new places pop up, especially when they offer tasty carb-loading options. This past Sunday, some friends and I happened upon this bakery in a new development off of the main Pleasant Hill artery in Duluth. Not ones to pass up a chance for loading up on baked goods, we looted the place despite our full bellies. The selection appeared a bit more interesting than the larger chains like White Windmill and Cafe Mozart. I filled my bag with a big flat rice cake chock full of chestnuts, walnuts, and dried fruits, a matcha cake, a savory donut filled with egg salad, a rice ball (filled with what I will determine tomorrow), and a curry custard bun.

We attacked the donut at the bakery expecting sweetness (it was not labeled). The savoriness surprised us at first. But once I adjusted my expectation, the taste appealed to me. It's hard to hate a fried dough puff filled with mayo moistened egg pieces.

I devoured the matcha cake today between breakfast and lunch, intending at the time only to eat half. Unlike the typical spongy Asian cakes, this little green one was very moist with a distinct matcha flavor. Not weighed down with butter, it was the perfect mid-morning treat.

I came home to J munching on the curry custard bun. Knowing that it takes me ten bites to equal his one, he generously offered me a taste. It was awesome! Creamy with a vibrant curry flavor, the custard complimented the eggy and slightly sweet bun very well. We'll certainly go back for this one again.

There were still many other options to try as you can see below. Some interesting sounding ones include a mulberry cake and a pizza bun.